# Sailing

Sailing is the process of propelling the craft using the wind acting on sails. One can propel a craft that moves on the surface of water (sailboat), on ice (iceboat or on land (land yacht) over a chosen course which is often part of a larger plan of navigation.

From prehistory until the second half of the 19th century, sailing was the dominant form of maritime transport; exploration across the seas and oceans was reliant on sail for anything other than the shortest distances. Naval power in this period used sail to varying degrees, culminating in the gun-armed sailing warships of the Age of Sail. Sail was slowly replaced by steam as the method of propulsion for ships over the latter part of the 19th century. In the 21st century, most sailing is recreational or for sport.

# My Story

My first contact with sailing was in May of 2024, when I went on a trip with my friends. I immediately fell in love with the art of sailing. I decided I want to acquire the skills to be the captain of a sailboat on my own (or with a crew). I completed a sailing course in August of 2024 during my summer break and acquired the Polish license of inland skipper. I have a lot of handwritten notes from said course which I plan o digitalizing here. Ever since starting the course I am drawn to sailing on a sea or an ocean. Right now I am planning to join a cruise on the Baltic Sea in order to start fulfilling the prerequisites to obtain a Polish maritime skipper license. Because I completed my course in Polish, I comprised a glossary for myself and anyone looking to translate sailing terminology from one language to another.

# Physics of Sailing

Sailing relies on the physics of sailing as the sails derive power from the wind, generating wind and drag. The forces of water acting on the hull of the ship are also at play.

# History